Understanding
by Dreamcatcher2012
Summary: Another story, this one will be two chapters I think, maybe three. It's about Ella coming around to Aria and Ezra. I was always interested in the conversations Aria and Ella must have had about Ezra, so I decided to write my own version. REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

Another story, this one will be two chapters I think, maybe three. It's about Ella coming around to Aria and Ezra. I was always interested in the conversations Aria and Ella must have had about Ezra, so I decided to write my own version.

ELLA POV

It was another beautiful day in Rosewood, sunny, breezy and not a cloud in the sky. Ironic, considering how much tragedy and drama this town had seen. Look at my family alone. My husband cheated on my with his student, my son was arrested for breaking and entering and my own daughter was dating her ex-English teacher. Ha, I laughed a bit to myself as these thoughts ran through my head. I was taking a walk through town, on my way to pick up some groceries at the store. As I made my way around the corner, I was stopped by the scene in front of me.

Aria and Ezra were walking down the street, holding hands and looking as if they hadn't a care in the world. They were talking animatedly, Aria snuggling up to Ezra's side, hugging his arm in the process. A few more steps and they would see me, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind, Ezra stopped and pulled Aria to him quickly.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked with a confused look on her face.

"Nothing," Ezra responded, sighing as he did, " it's just, do you have any idea how much I love you?"

Aria smiled and responded with a knowing smile upon her face, "I think I have an idea, but maybe you should remind me just to be sure".

Without any words spoken, Ezra pushed her hair out of her face, cradled her head carefully in his hand, and brought his lips to Aria's. While Ezra clearly meant for the kiss to be short and chaste, Aria clearly had other ideas. She wove her arms around his back and pulled him to her as if her life depended on their closeness deepening the kiss in the meanwhile. After a minute, Ezra finally pulled away, whispering something in Aria's ear as he did. She smiled and they changed their route, I noticed. Clearly they were making their way back to Ezra's apartment.

'Should I stop them?' I thought. But then I remembered the smile Aria had on her face and I tried to remember the last time I saw that smile. A few moments later, I realized that I hadn't seen that smile in months. It hit me that maybe Aria hadn't been this happy in months, and if Ezra made her so happy, maybe I should just let them be. Whatever I decided, one thing was clear, I needed to have a chat with Aria.

_ LATER THAT EVENING AT ELLA'S APARTMENT_

"Aria, is that you?" Ella asked as she heard her apartment door close.

"Yeah, it's me, mom. I got your message earlier about dinner, sorry I didn't respond, I was …. Uh … preoccupied," Aria said as she made her way into the kitchen.

Ella looked up from her chopping with a knowing smile on her face. "Occupied, huh? Were you with Ezra?" she asked, already knowing the answer but wanting to hear Aria's answer.

"Yes, is that a problem?" Aria asked with a sudden change in attitude, changing her stance to a defensive one with her arms crossed.

"No," Ella answered calmly "no need to get defensive I was just curious. I was wondering if we could talk a bit more about that, this, you and Ezra? I want to know you two, as a couple. I get the feeling he isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and I want to try and understand how important he is to you."

"You really want to know?" Aria asked, obviously shocked at her mother's interest. "Ask away, anything you want to know, I'll try and tell you, but there may be some things I just can't put into words" she finished, grabbing a seat at the breakfast bar and stealing one of the tomatoes Ella was chopping.

"That's fair," Ella responded, contemplating what her first question would be.


	2. Chapter 2

Here is Chapter 2! I am expecting maybe a short Chapter 3 with Ezra at dinner… but that should be it. Enjoy and review! Also, if you have any ideas as to Ezra at dinner, let me know.

Chapter 2

" So, you said you two met before school started, but I never asked how…" Ella began glancing up at Aria and waiting for an answer.

Aria took a deep breath and began, " I had gone into the bar by Hollis to grab some food after dropping Mike at lacrosse. We got to talking… and we realized we had a lot in common. Something just sort of clicked with us."

"Okay…" Ella said, not wanting to push her luck now that Aria was opening up to her, "and once you found out he was your teacher, what happened?"

"We tried to stay away from each other, he made it clear nothing was going to happen between us. He apologized, I understood, but I won't act like, it didn't hurt. Somehow we were already linked. I knew I had to say goodbye to him as Ezra, but I couldn't pretend that he was only to me."

"What changed? If he was so against your relationship, what changed?" Ella prodded.

"Um…" Aria paused, trying to find a way to explain the situation to her mother without her getting angry "do you remember the night I helped you at the opening gallery?"

"How could I forget? That was when I thought Meredith was my friend and not sleeping with my husband," Ella responded with a snarky tone.

"Well that wasn't the easiest evening for me… seeing Meredith… talking to Meredith… I sort of broke down and soon enough I found myself knocking on Ezra's door" Aria paused as she saw a look of pain on her mother's face. "He was surprised to see me, but he could tell something was wrong immediately. After trying to convince me to let him drive me home, I asked him to hold me. And he did, for hours, he just held me a listened to me vent. No judgment, he just comforted me. By the end of the night we both realized that staying away from each other was going to be much more difficult than we originally thought".

"I'm sorry you had to go through that alone, Aria, I'm sorry you had to get through everything with your father and I alone," Ella finished, looking down, feeling ashamed.

"Mom," Aria said as she reached for Ella's hand, " I wasn't alone, I had Ezra. That's the whole point. Through everything, Ezra has been there for me".

"So, dating? How did that work?"

"We stayed in his apartment. Coffee, dinner, movies, talking. To anyone else it would sound boring I'm sure, but it was perfect. Simply getting to spend time together was enough."

"He was 'blue eyes' wasn't he?" Ella asked seemingly out of no where.

"Yeah, he was, he is. That's why I sort of freaked out when you confronted me about it".

"Ahh… that makes sense now. Wait, so did the girls know from the beginning?"

"No," Aria answered immediately, "they didn't know for a while, and when they found out, it wasn't because I wanted them to know. For Ezra and I to work, that meant keeping it from everyone, including the girls. It wasn't easy, but if I wanted to be with Ezra, it was necessary. They found out when Hanna was in the hospital. Hanna had seen Ezra and I together the night before, and it wasn't really fair to keep it from the other girls".

"Saw you two together?" Ella questioned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, because we were in sort of a compromising position" Aria spoke carefully, hoping her mother would accept this broad answer without questioning her further.

"I see. Was there ever a point where your father and I ever almost stumbled on something we weren't supposed to see?"

"Ha," Aria scoffed, " only about a dozen times. Do you remember when you said you went to the art gallery, or almost did? Ezra and I were there that day, on our first official date actually. And of course, the multiple times when Dad visited his office, " Aria smirked " I had to hide a few times while Ezra got rid of him".

"So that's why you wanted to take those classes at Hollis. To see Ezra." Ella said accusingly, gauging Aria's reactions.

"I, no," Aria smiled and looked away, clearly she wasn't getting out of this one. "Well, to be perfectly honest, yes, I took those classes so I could have more time with Ezra. But I really did want to take pottery and I made some great pieces, thank you very much".

"As long as you didn't have a Patrick Swayze in _Ghost _moment, I think I'm okay with that."

"Not exactly like Ghost" Aria giggled and grabbed a tomato to pop in her mouth. Who knew talking to her mom about Ezra could feel so freeing?

"Okay then… let me ask you this. Has age ever been an issue with you two?" Ella asked, a more serious tone taking over the conversation.

"No, not really… once very early on. We were out with Ezra's best friend Hardy and he gave Ezra a hard time about us, my age. Something about a pink slips and diplomas…. Oh and then I suppose one other time after Dad mentioned that I was applying to colleges far away from Pennsylvania. But we got over it. I think he was just scared that I was going somewhere, which would never happen. We worked through it though, and it hasn't been an issue since."

"I see… when you talk about him you seem very serious. Like you see a future with him and him being out of the picture is not even part of the equation. When did that start?" Ella struggled for a moment trying to find the best way to phrase her question,"I guess, what I'm trying to ask is when did you realize that you had fallen in love with him?"

Aria let out another deep breath, this time one she didn't even know she was holding. "I guess the night after the galley opening. When he was holding me I felt safe, happy, like nothing bad could happen to me as long as I was in his arms."

"Wow.. so soon after you two met?"

"Yeah, I mean I didn't tell him then, but I definitely knew. Like I've said a few times, Ezra and I just work. We understand each other, have similar interests, we click."

"So have you two been together? I mean all that time spent in his apartment I think I know the answer, but I would still like to here it from you."

Aria looked up at her mother's expression, trying to judge what exactly to tell her. "You really want to know?" Aria asked. Ella nodded her head in response. "Yes," Aria said simply.

"When, when was the first time?" Ella clarified.

"Don't worry, we waited. Nothing ever happened while he was my teacher. It was the night he was fired from Hollis. Things got intense quickly. He had decided that he would go home for a bit and try to find a job somewhere else, so I didn't know when I would see him next, if ever. It was just the right time for us and it was everything we needed in the moment." Aria finished still staring at her hands as she nervously picked off old nail polish, afraid to look at her mothers reaction.

Ella just stared at Aria for a minute, taking in the sight of the woman her daughter had turned into. A strong, beautiful, mature woman was now sitting in front of her, not the little girl who used to sleep with a stuffed animal between her ankles. "Was he nice to you?" Ella asked tentatively.

"It's Ezra, mom, of course he was. He would never intentionally do anything to hurt me" Aria responded strongly.

"Were you safe?"

"Yes".

"Don't tell your father. This is something we should just keep between us. I'm glad you were honest with me. You're not a little girl anymore, are you?" Ella asked, though it was more of a statement.

"No, mom, I'm not, but I will always be yours" Aria responded

Ella smiled softly back at Aria. Aria would always be her daughter, even if her heart belonged to someone else. "But wait," Ella said quickly, another thought coming to mind, "what about Noel? Holden?"

" Did you really think I was interested in them?" Aria responded almsot laughing at her mothers question. "Especially Holden, we used to play in the sandbox with each other, not exactly a past that would illicit such a romantic future. Even if I had been remotely interested in him, ever since I met Ezra, it's been Ezra and only Ezra."

"I think I'm beginning to understand that" Ella finished, turning away from Aria to tend to the sauce on the stove. Clearly Ezra wasn't going anywhere, so maybe it's time I finally accept that Aria is growing up and dating a grown man. "Hey, why don't you invite Ezra over for dinner?" Ella said, addressing Aria once more.

"Really?" Aria hestitantly asked, "you honestly want me to invite him over tonight?"

"Why not? I have to get to now him as your boyfriend sometime. He's important to you, so he's important to me. I promise I won't grill him or invite Jason over for another awkward evening."Ella grinned knowingly as she finished.

"You noticed that?" Aria replied, eyes wide with alarm.

"Let's just say that even though I only spent a few minutes talking with them that evening, it was clear they were competing with each other. And they weren't trying to impress me or your father..."

"Yeah... about that..." Aria started.

"Oh I don't care about that now, just go call Ezra, ok?"

"Okay," Aria said, relieved that her mother didn't ask her any more questions about Jason. She hopped off the stool and walked into the other room to call Ezra. He should find this entertaining, she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

I realized that I had never finished this story. So, here it is! Enjoy!

Aria stepped into Ella's bedroom, closing the door for a little privacy. After pulling up Ezra's number and dialing, Aria noticed she was unconsciously pacing back and forth next to the bed. She was nervous. Why was she nervous?

She just had a great conversation about Ezra with her mom and now she was about to see Ezra again. Interrupting her thoughts, Ezra answered the call "Miss me already, huh?' he asked, laughing slightly at the thought.

"Not exactly" Aria responded with a serious tone to her voice.

Ezra's lighthearted tone immediately did a one-eighty, being replaced by one of anxiousness instead. "What's wrong?" he said immediately.

"Nothing, really… actually things are good. But, you might want to take a seat for what I'm about to tell you" said Aria as she moved to take a seat herself.

"Fine, just tell me what's going on" Ezra huffed, bracing himself for whatever Aria was about to tell him.

" Well" Aria began, trying to think of the best was to approach the conversation " my mom wants you to come over for diner… tonight". While Aria waited for Ezra's response, she realized he probably needed more information. " When I came home today, my mom said she wanted to talk about us… well you and I, our relationship." Aria took a deep breath and continued on, "she listened, Ezra, calmly, we talked for a while and I answered all her questions… some which were quite interesting".

"Wow, okay, so what does this mean, Ar? I mean, I'm glad your conversation went well and that at least she's listening to you, but why all the sudden does she want me to come for dinner? No offense, but I'm not sure I had being interrogated by your mother on my list of to-do's today…" Ezra trailed off, hopeful, yet apprehensive at Ella's true motives, instinctively rubbing the back of his neck in a unconscious move to alleviate some of his stress.

Aria laughed at the comparison, "No," Aria laughed, "it's not going to be an interrogation, at least I think not... Look, if this is a chance to make Ella understand us better, we kind of have to take it. I mean what other options do we have? She's reaching out, Ezra, she's trying," Aria pleaded with Ezra, knowing he was nervous. "Plus, I'll be there to protect you. Mama bears don't actually eat their young, right?" quipped Aria, trying to lighten the mood.

"No, they just kill everything that comes into contact with their cubs… for example, an older boyfriend." Ezra replied, continuing the joking manner, but with an unmistaken unease.

"Point taken," she responded bluntly, still waiting on an actual answer from Ezra.

With an exasperated sigh, Ezra finally gave Aria the answer she was looking for. "What time should I be there?"

_ AN HOUR LATER AT ELLA'S APARTMENT_

Aria had busied herself by setting the table for dinner, making sure it looked perfect. No, a perfect table setting would make all of the awkwardness of tonight go away, but it wouldn't hurt would it. All the while, Ella was putting the finishing touches on the pasta she had made for the evening. A knock at the door tore Ella and Aria away from their respective tasks.

"I'll get it!" Aria exclaimed as she flung herself at the door before her mother could even move. She opened it to find a very nervous looking Ezra. He hadn't even taken a step through the door yet and he was already fidgeting. "Hey" Aria greeted him softly".

"Hi," he responded awkwardly, one of his hands shoved deep in his pocket while the other had a death grip on a small bouquet of flowers. He made no move to enter the apartment as Aria moved to the side of the door, waiting for him to step inside. It was if his body was paralyzed out of fear.

Aria took in his distress and took a step towards him instead. She reached up to his face lovingly and tilted it down until their eyes locked. With a reassuring smile and loving look in her eye Aria tried to comfort Ezra, "it's just dinner," she said, "you will be absolutely fine". Ezra's stiff stance began to soften as Aria moved her lips up to Ezra's barely touching them as she stood on her toes. "Come on," she whispered, "my mom will be wondering where we are".

"Let's do this," Ezra replied, mentally preparing himself for an evening full of questions.

As Aria and Ezra stepped into the apartment, they were immediately halted by Ella's presence. Clearly she had just watched their entire interaction as she raised her eyebrow's slightly at them. "Glad you two decided to finally come in," she deadpanned, waiting for Ezra's reaction.

"Ella," he responded clearly, "it's good to see you. Thank you for inviting me. I really appreciate you taking the time to hear Aria and I out. Really, it means a lot."

"Well I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm finally going to give my approval to the two of you, but let's not be concerned with that. Tonight, let's just have dinner and talk," Ella finished as she ushered Aria and Ezra to the table.

A few minutes later, they were all seated, their full plates in front of them and no one had yet to usher a word. "I suppose I should be the one to start, " Ella began, twirling a fork of spaghetti on her plate. "I'm not sure how much Aria told you about our conversation early, but we talked about your relationship. How it started, the obvious issues with it and ultimately where it's going. My goal is to understand what you both have together, not to necessarily support it, but I should at least make an effort to understand it before judging you. Does that sound fair?" Ella posed, looking Ezra straight in the eye.

"More than fair," he responded, "what would you like to know?"

"When was the turning point for you? When did you decide that you were all in with Aria and that there was no going back?" Ella questioned.

Ezra looked over at Aria for a moment, trying exactly how to field this questions. He knew Ella would ask difficult and intimate questions, but he didn't expect it the first question out.

He put down his fork, cleared his throat and began to tell Ella about going to New York and interviewing for a position. "I had left Rosewood to go look for a teaching position in New York. I didn't tell anyone, let alone Aria, I just left. I told myself I was looking to just move away so that Aria could live her life without the complication of our relationship. But, in reality, I think I was looking for a way to make us okay because I couldn't face the fact that being with her was wrong. I got back and she was angry with me, rightfully so, but I guess I hadn't expected her to have reacted so strongly. I explained, but ultimately, I still walked away. I thought it was what was best for her. A few days later…." At that moment, Ezra paused, clearly trying to figure out how much he should tell Ella. Once again, he turned to Aria looking for reassurance.

"Go ahead, it's okay," Aria said softly, reaching out for his hand.

"A few days later," Ezra continued, "Aria confronted me about something I had written. A poem, about her, how much she means to me. She was hurt that I could write that poem and still let her go. She told me I was running away from my feelings and that I was being a coward." Ezra looked down at their hands, a slight smile appearing on his face as Aria lovingly squeezed it providing him with an extra bit of encouragement. "She was right," he stated simply. " I was running away from us. That was the moment I knew that I was all in. Seeing the look of hurt on her face and knowing that I caused that by denying our feelings. I could never do that to her again."

"Wow," Ella said, "that wasn't exactly what I was expecting to hear. I appreciate your truthfulness."

The rest of the night was spent with Ella asking a few more questions and Ezra answering them patiently. After some time, the questions turned into conversation. Not a comfortable one by any means, but they were all trying to make it work.

As Ella was finishing up loading the dishwasher, Aria walked Ezra to the door. "Thank you for tonight, Ezra, it means a lot" Aria spoke, closing the apartment door behind her to give her and Ezra some privacy.

"Why are you thanking me?" Ezra posed, "you and me, I'm in it for the long haul. Whatever it takes."

At that moment, Ezra reached down, tilting Aria's chin up with his index finger and gave her a simple kiss. Aria moved her body closer to Ezra's, deepening the kiss in the process. After a minute, Ezra stepped back, breaking the kiss. "I should go," he stated simply. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Of course. How about we go see a movie? I think the theater is having a classic movie marathon" she spoke softly.

"Sounds perfect," he responded and turned to walk away.

Aria looked after him for a moment, trying to figure out how she got to keep Ezra even though her parents knew they were together.

As she stepped back into her apartment, Ella spoke up, "I'm impressed. I didn't think he would be so convincing. But, it's clear as day how much he loves you. Don't take it for granted."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Aria responded with a confused look on her face. 'What is she say?' she thought to herself.

"All right, I'm going to bed," said Ella as she kissed the top of Aria's head.

"Hey mom?" Aria posed.

"Yes honey?" Ella responded.

"Where does this leave us? You and me, me and Ezra?" Aria asked tentatively.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to piece everything together. But, today was a start. I think I understand you two know, or at least I'm beginning to. Goodnight, Aria, " Ella said softly as she turned towards her bedroom.

"Thank you, Mom. And for the record, by not pushing Ezra away, you're letting me be me, just like you promised," spoke Aria with a few tears coming to her eyes.

"I love you, Aria."

"I love you to, Mom."

With that, Ella went to bed and Aria took a moment to appreciate how far her and Ezra's relationship had come. Turning out the lamp in the living room, Aria headed towards the guest bedroom ready for a night of rest after a long, but wonderful day.


End file.
